The thing I like about Korean films is that they are so so so much different than Hollywood movies. Korean films, in my opinion, are a lot more engaging, difficult, and rewarding than most movies coming out of Hollywood these days. Sunny (Sseo-ni), is one of those films that make you realize that there is a whole other world to movies than just Hollywood, and it is reassuring. The film is about a middle aged woman, Na-mi, remembering the past as she tries to find her old high school friends who were in a group with her named Sunny. While the film is mainly considered a drama, it has many other genres as well, including romance, action, and comedy.

So-ra about to talk some smack

What makes the film so great is how it all comes together – the flashbacks, the current day problems, and the foreshadowing. The foreshadowing in Sunny is amazing and can almost bring a tear to your eye as to how perfectly it fits to the story. Along with the foreshadowing, there are many different detailed techniques that just adds a bit more to the film, such as how the diagetic and non-diagetic music is intertwined with the story. It really reminded me of 500 Days of Summer when Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character turns up the volume which results in the diagetic music becoming the background music of the story as well. Other film techniques that are interesting include the transition of time, such as the scene where Na-mi takes her first shot of soju and the shot glass is shown in close up slamming on the table, but as the camera zooms out, it is apparent that the girls are already drunk, indicating a passage of time. It is these little techniques that show how much care the director (Kang Hyeong-Cheol) put into the film.

Dreams are my reality~

Of course, the diverse cast is also what makes the film so great. Go Su-hee, Yu Ho-jeong, and Min Hyo-rin are just a couple of popular names. And of course, there’s Kang So-ra, the girl who plays the leader of the group. She is very popular in Korea nowadays.

It's funny that the film had another group named Girls Generation

The film touches upon some serious topics, such as death, drugs, poverty and bullying, but even so, with the ’80s setting and the strong bond of the girls, Sunny is a heartwarming film that is definitely worth seeing. However, due to cultural differences, foreigners will probably not get the full entertainment value that the film has to offer, for example, the ridiculous humor might escape some people. Even so, the film overall is a very nice break from the identical story model films that Hollywood has to offer.